NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although use of testosterone
supplements may increase lean body mass and reduce fat mass in
older men, it does not improve functional mobility or mental
ability, according to a report in the Journal of the American
Medical Association for January 2.

The study involved 237 healthy men between 60 and 80 years
old who were randomized to receive testosterone or placebo
pills twice daily for 6 months. All of the men had low normal
testosterone levels. A total of 207 men completed the study.

Although lean body mass rose and fat mass fell in the
testosterone group relative to the placebo group, this did not
translate into improved functional mobility or muscle strength,
Dr. Marielle H. Emmelot-Vonk, from University Medical Center
Utrecht in the Netherlands, and colleagues note in their
report.

Likewise, no significant changes in cognitive function or
bone mineral density were noted with testosterone use.

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Testosterone had mixed metabolic effects. Testosterone
supplementation enhanced insulin sensitivity -- meaning the
body responded more efficiently to the effects of insulin --
but also led to a drop in "good" HDL cholesterol.

Moreover, by the end of the study, 47.8 percent of
testosterone-treated men had metabolic syndrome compared with
35.5 percent of those given placebo. Metabolic syndrome is an
increasingly common condition characterized by a clustering of
risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, high blood
sugar and low HDL cholesterol that raise the risk of heart
disease, diabetes and stroke.

Testosterone use also had little effect on quality of life,
the report indicates.

"This study is, as far as we know, the largest study of
testosterone supplementation with the most endpoints and a
randomized, double-blind design," the investigators state.

"The findings in this study do not support a net benefit on
several indicators of health and functional and cognitive
performance with 6 months of modest testosterone
supplementation in healthy men with circulating testosterone
levels in the lower range."